1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to devices using Global Positioning System (GPS) data to facilitate physical training. More particularly, the present invention concerns a physical training device using GPS data to assist a user in reaching performance goals and completing training sessions by tracking user performance; communicating progress, including progress relative to user-defined goals; communicating navigation directions and waypoints; and storing and analyzing training session statistics.
2. Description of Prior Art
Many people who exercise strive to improve their performance. A runner or a bicyclist, for example, may desire to improve performance by increasing speed over a defined distance or by increasing total distance that can be traveled without resting.
One well-known method exercisers may use to improve performance is to set and strive to reach performance goals. This requires that the exerciser measure performance during the training session and compare the measured performance to the pre-defined goals. For example, if an exerciser desires to increase his or her average running speed, he or she would set an average speed goal, measure an actual average speed during a training session, and then compare the average speed goal with the actual average speed. In this manner, the exerciser is provided with performance feedback that can be used as a guide for future training sessions. To measure actual average speed, an exerciser typically measures an elapsed time of the training session using a stopwatch, measures the distance traveled during the session using a map or landmarks, and divides the distance traveled by the elapsed time. Unfortunately, this requires that the exerciser carry the stopwatch and remember to start and stop the stopwatch at appropriate points during the training session. It also requires that the exerciser determine the distance traveled. If the exerciser uses a non-standard or arbitrarily-defined course, the distance can sometimes be roughly determined from a vehicle's odometer, though the result may be significantly inaccurate. Where the course cannot be driven with a vehicle, such as, for example, where the course is over open country or over water, some other means of determining distance must be devised. Pedometers, for example, are known in the prior art for measuring distance traveled. Unfortunately, pedometers suffer from a number of disadvantages, including, for example, that they must be properly calibrated; are inaccurate for most forms of movement other than running; and the runner must maintain consistent strides regardless of such factors as changing terrain. Following an arbitrary course can also make repeating the course extremely difficult because the exerciser may not recall the course's exact route. Furthermore, this method makes it very difficult for the user to be aware of performance and progress toward reaching the pre-defined goals during the training session.
The prior art methods of measuring performance also make it very difficult to use goals in interval training, a training system wherein an exerciser strives to achieve different performance characteristics during different intervals of the training session. Using the traditional approach of measuring performance, an exerciser must recognize or be made aware of the completion of one interval and the beginning of the next, and must stop measuring performance characteristics of the completed interval and begin measuring performance characteristics of the next interval. Although many training devices offer a manual “lap memory” feature to facilitate recording performance characteristics for multiple intervals of a training session, use of these devices is cumbersome. Using the manual lap memory feature in time-based interval training, for example, exercisers must constantly compare an interval goal with the time on a stopwatch and manually trigger lap recording upon completion of each interval. Using the manual feature with distance-based and speed-based interval training is further complicated because the user must accurately determine a distance traveled or a current speed, which is difficult or impossible in some situations as discussed above. Thus, the traditional methods associated with measuring performance are cumbersome, restrictive, and are not practical or useful for some types of training sessions.
People who exercise also often desire to accumulate performance information over time. An exerciser may, for example, perform a historical or statistical analysis of the performance information gathered over a week or a month. Typically, accumulating performance information involves the laborious process of manually recording the performance characteristics for each training session over the desired period of time. Furthermore, the exerciser may be restricted to exercising on a particular closed course for extended periods of time in order to consistently record accurate performance information, such as, for example, distance.
Accumulating performance information becomes more difficult if the exerciser performs two or more types of exercise during one training session and desires to maintain the performance information from each type of exercise separately. For example, an exerciser may walk during part of a training session and run during another part of the same training session and desire to accumulate running statistics separately from walking statistics. Traditionally, this would require the exerciser to be aware of transitions from one type of exercise to another and be able to record session information such as, for example, distance, for each type of exercise. This may be difficult or even impossible if the exerciser wishes to arbitrarily transition from one type of exercise to another such as, for example, transitioning from a run to a walk whenever the exerciser becomes tired.
In addition to the challenges associated with accumulating performance data, calculating historical and statistical analyses on the performance data presents a further challenge. A computer is often needed to perform the analyses quickly and efficiently, which requires the user to have a computer at the exercise site or leave the exercise site in order to access a computer to view the analyses. Furthermore, if the user does not have an exercise device adapted to automatically store performance data in a manner in which it can be transferred to a computer, the user has the burden of manually entering the data into the computer.
Due to the above-mentioned and other problems and disadvantages in the art, a need exists for an improved mechanism to assist a user in reaching performance goals, navigating during a training session, and recording and analyzing training session statistics.